Gayle plus seven other Jamaicans on WI squad

LED BY captain Christopher Gayle, eight Jamaicans have been named in the West Indies' squad for the one-day and T20 series against New Zealand.

Carlton Baugh Jr, Shawn Findlay, Xavier Marshall, Nikita Miller, Brendan Nash, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor, Jamaica's 2008 Cricketer of the Year, are the other Jamaicans in the 15-man ODI squad.

Findlay and Miller are scheduled to depart the island next week to join the other players, who are preparing for the two-Test series.

The other players in the squad for the five ODIs and two T20 series are Denesh Ramdin, who has been elevated to the vice captaincy, Lionel Baker, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Fidel Edwards, Kieron Pollard and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Sulieman Benn has been named in the squad for the T20 Internationals only.

The West Indies will play the first of their T20 games on Boxing Day at Eden Park in Auckland while the Queenstown Event Centre will be the venue for the opening ODI on New Year's Eve.